Frog soup

For several years, I’ve been writing about the rivalry in the French government between Nicholas Sarkozy and Domenique de Villepin. Sarkozy, though flawed, is a breath of fresh air in French politics. Villepin, to put it mildly, is not.

The struggle between the two has reached a new level with the revelation that Villepin, now the French Prime Minister, may have pushed behind the scenes for an investigation of Sarkozy based on the latter’s appearance on a bogus list of public figures who supposedly took bribes. Apparently, there is evidence that Villepin ordered a probe by the French domestic intelligence service even after being told by senior intelligence official General Phillippe Rondot that the list was a fake. Moreover, General Rondot contradicts Villepin’s version of events, causing many to believe that the suave anti-American politician is lying. Consequently, Villepin is under pressure to resign from his position as Prime Minister.